Business culture of South Africa

The Republic of South Africa (SAR) is a state in the southern part of the African continent — an extraordinary synthesis of exotic and rational modernity. These are virgin deserts and savannahs with wild animals, many kilometers of farms and wildlife parks, stunning beaches, cities with skyscrapers rising to the sky and old Victorian houses, modern high-tech life and slums.

Speaking of the Republic of South Africa, it is impossible not to mention apartheid — policy of restricting the rights of the non-white population of the country, carried out in South Africa for many years. In 1994, white apartheid fell, and the black population of the country received many rights and freedoms. Giving the rule of the country into the hands of the black population, the whites gave away all the fruits of the civilization that they themselves built here over several centuries.

South Africans

The Republic of South Africa is inhabited by various, fairly large ethnic groups. We will not delve into this topic, so as not to get confused in the names and terms. The main thing to understand is that the majority in South Africa is represented by the black local population. Also live white — descendants of the colonists, brown — a special racial group of mixed ancestry and Asians — people from Asia.

White residents of South Africa — they are mainly Afrikaners and Anglo-Africans. The first — descendants of the famous conquerors of the continent — Dutch, Germans, French and other Europeans, and the second — the British, those who fought with the Afrikaners, and having won, built their own civilization and established their own rules, some of which still live in South Africa. A little note: an Afrikaner should not be called a Boer. This historical name, familiar to many from the novel "Captain Daredevil" by Louis Boussinard, is now not widely used.

In South Africa, absolutely everyone speaks good English; even the Zulus and Bushmen from the most remote villages. There are eleven official languages in this country. And if English and, perhaps, some words in Afrikaans are familiar to Europeans, then other languages ??of local indigenous tribes are absolutely inaccessible to our understanding without in-depth study.

Greeting

When meeting in South Africa, they shake hands; moreover, it is softer than is customary in Europe. In the culture of the white population of the country, it is customary for the youngest person to greet the elder first, among the black population, the opposite custom applies.

Features of communication

Anglo-Africans and black South Africans consider it indecent to make eye contact when communicating. Afrikaners, on the other hand, love eye contact, considering it a sign of sincerity and honesty.

When communicating with black South Africans and residents of the country who profess Islam, you should not use your left hand when communicating (taking or giving anything with it), as it is considered unclean. If you want to show special respect to a person, give or take something from his hands with both hands.

South Africans do not welcome a tough and assertive style of communication, but do not allow long pauses in the conversation, indicating, in their opinion, a lack of interest in the topic of conversation. In addition, they prefer to conduct conversations in a low voice.

Black South Africans are the opposite — they talk loudly, like to ask unfamiliar people about health and family.

Business

South Africans are characterized by a slow pace of business relations. Negotiations can take a long time, and the final decision can be delayed. But after signing all the documents, whites always fulfill their obligations, which cannot always be said about black South Africans, who sometimes violate agreements. The situation is similar in matters of punctuality: whites consider it an integral part of business and friendships, but blacks are easily late for meetings.

South Africans are used to starting their work day early. Calling your business partner at 8 am is considered normal, but disturbing a person after 9 pm is not worth it, as South Africans often go to bed early.

South Africa has a high level of development of banking and communication systems, which is why business issues are resolved quickly after reaching a final agreement.

For an official business meeting in South Africa, it is better to wear a business suit, for a less formal event, it is preferable to choose a sports-cut jacket without a tie, and for women — elegant casual dress. Sneakers and shorts are possible in informal situations.

For successful business in South Africa, it is necessary to take into account regional peculiarities and pay attention to the positioning of the company and products.

Invitation to visit and gifts

Residents of South Africa like to invite their foreign guests to a restaurant or quite often to their homes. Since most whites live in private homes, it is likely that this invitation will involve grilling meat (antelopes, zebras, ostriches, and other game) on a grill in the backyard of the house, followed by an outdoor picnic. In such a case, it would be a good idea to take a bottle of wine and flowers with you as a gift for the hostess of the house. A national souvenir gift from Russia will also be received with gratitude. If you are invited to such a home event, it will be absolutely normal if you ask in advance what to bring to the table: maybe beer, wine, soft drinks or dessert. The picnic will most likely take place in the evening, when the Yuarans are used to having dinner. The fact is that in this country breakfast and lunch do not imply a plentiful meal. And, in the evening, soups, fried meat, antelope sausages, salads, a lot of vegetables, fruits and desserts are served on the table.

Interesting facts

In South Africa, cars drive on the left. The tracks in the country are excellent, although some roads are paid. Left-hand traffic out of habit is transferred between people and on the sidewalks and corridors of buildings. In a taxi, passengers, if possible, are ordered to travel in the back seat. Tips in taxis, as well as in restaurants, range from 5 to 10% of the bill.

Most institutions in the country are open from 8:00 to 17:00, weekends — Saturday and Sunday.

In South Africa, they are very economical in the use of water, since its reserves are small. Rainwater collectors are often found on farms. Of course, in hotels and hotels no one will restrict you in the use of water, but they will always tactfully remind you of saving it. Local residents often wash their faces, wash dishes, wash in stagnant water (i.e., collecting water in sinks and bathtubs). In addition, houses often do not have faucets, i.e. taps for cold and hot water are separated.

The climate in South Africa is very comfortable. No wonder almost any kind of fruit can grow here. In summer — from October to March — The temperature ranges from 20 to 40 degrees Celsius. It's rainy time. In winter — from April to September — the temperature is kept in the range from 5 to 25 degrees. In winter, there is a lot of sun and no malarial mosquitoes.

Vaccinations are not required in South Africa. Although, if you are planning a visit in the summer, i.e. in November-February, and even if you want to visit the national parks of some South African provinces, then you should still take antimalarial pills. From different flies and mosquitoes in South Africa, you will be saved by air conditioners turned on to the maximum, and nets on the windows of the hotel and above the beds.

Sometimes South Africans don't like being photographed. This is especially common among the black population, which for the most part still believes in magic and witchcraft, and, in their opinion, a picture can take away part of the soul. The norm of life today, like hundreds of years ago, for the black population of South Africa are: belief in amulets, spirits, treatment by sorcerers, various rituals.

Hobbies and entertainment

In an informal setting, South Africans do not really like to talk about work. But sports — favorite topic of conversation. Blacks and whites live completely differently and play completely different games. Rugby, golf and cricket — favorite pastimes for whites. But football has traditionally been popular among the black population. The White Steels showed great interest in this game only after the 2010 FIFA World Cup was held in South Africa.